I Promise We Shall Meet Again
by fatal whisper
Summary: Link, the Hero of Twilight, explores the Faron Woods a bit more thoroughly, noticing a sign reading: Kokiri Forest. Curious, he follows the sign's directions and meets a mysterious girl awaiting the fulfillment of an old friend's promise. Twoshot.
1. The Cold Wind, the Unfulfilled Oath

"Cold."

He treaded upon a path he had never known before that midnight. Link let out a tired breath as he rubbed his arms with his hands in an effort to keep warm. Faron Woods had never felt this cold before nor would it after. Only tonight would that empty chill blow through the sacred wood.

The young Hylian knew he was lost now. The trees here loomed above him as though their branches would collapse on him any second and the grass here reached his waist.

Strangest of all, there was tiny wooden signposts every thirty or so feet it seemed. Each one sporting the same message: _Kokiri Forest --- _

The first time Link had found one of these signs, he became intrigued by its message. He immediately began to follow the direction it was pointing toward: East.

But, soon, the sun began to set over an orange horizon. The path became dimmer and dimmer. Then, that dreadful chill spread through the forest like a fire spreads through a cottage.

Naturally, Link began to think the sign was a simple trick.

_Midna would have probably noticed this little trick..._ Link thought to himself, his feet continuously dragging him forward. He could hear Midna moaning right now.

_I told you the sign was a fake! How could you fall for something that obvious?!_

About to tell her off, Link remembered Midna had left for her world seven hours past. He let out another drawn out breath. Midna had been such a great friend. Sadder yet, she had liked him. Not that he'd ever return the same feelings for her (He had known her only a few months.), but still...maybe...just possibly...they could have been...

Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"_I will wait until the end of..."_

Blue irises instantly glanced at a suprising sight. The sight that removed all Link's doubts about the sign...

Footprints. Footprints headed east.

Link sprinted forward to gaze at the prints. They were fresh, meaning someone had left these in their wake minutes ago, but he had not noticed whoever it was that left them.

In a split second, Link fell in line behind the footprints, not looking ahead, just gazing at the footprints, letting them lead him.

_"...until the end of days_

_In this place we'll promised we'd meet again_

_One last time, my dear friend..."_

Link's ears twitched a bit. He was closer now, at least. He began to smell smoke, signifying someone had lit a fire dead ahead. Link, then again, heard the voice, reciting the words to a song it seemed.

_"You promised and I believe your words_

_I know you would not lie_

_You said to me, let's speak once more_

_But, you're running out of time..."_

Suddenly, something hit Link. This voice...was that of a child. A female child. He looked down a t the footprints, again noticing something he hadn't before. They were small...like a child's. Link remembered when Talo had followed the monkey into Faron Woods, he had followed the boy's footprints, whose were a tad bit smaller than these.

_"We haven't much longer my friend_

_Please don't make me cry_

_Why are you years and years late?_

_I start to ponder why..."_

Then, the trail stopped and Link came to a halt. Link looked ahead of himself. In front of him was the person who had left the tracks behind. Her appearance matched her footprint size, she was a child. She had green tresses, the same shade of the trees above them, bound by a headband of a darker green color. She was wearing a green dress with a darker green, long-sleeved undershirt made out of a thick cotton it seemed. Over that was a small coat made from wool. But what held Link's glance captive most was the material her dress was made from: it had the same texture that his green tunic had.

She immediately sensed his presence, then, turned toward him, obviously examining this stranger. In a minute, she smiled at him radiantly.

"I've been waiting for you, Link. For a century you've kept me waiting!"


	2. Promise Fufilled

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for not posting an author's note on the last chapter. I do not own any of the characters in the Legend of Zelda.**

**Chapter II**

Link only stared at the young girl, absolutely dumbfounded.

"W-What?"

The girl's face slightly fell. "Don't you remember me, Link? Is it because you have aged?" Her eyes inspected him for another five seconds. "You certainly haven't aged like other Hylians, Link. At 110 you look 20!"

"I'm 17," Link corrected her, a bit cooly. "And I don't know who you are. Besides, little kids should not be playing around in Faron Woods around midnight!"

The girl's face became even more crestfallen, her water filled eyes now shining in the light from the fire she had just finished making. She looked at her feet and began intertwining and untwining her fingers. "So, you aren't him, I suppose. You're not the same Link I speak of." She briefly hugged her knees, pulling them close to her chest. Then, she crossed her legs once more and looked up at her unexpected visitor. Surprisingly, she was grinning again, but her grin seemed to be mixed with sadness. "Would you like to sit?"

-----------------------------

"You're a what, again?"

"I am of the Kokiri tribe. Hylians have always known little of us. Even more so today."

Link picked up a nearby stick and began scribbling in the dirt. "Where are they?"

The girl, who had told Link her name: Saria, began rubbing her hands against her bare shins. "One hundred years ago, I knew a boy, named Link. He lived amongst us Kokiri, but he was a Hylian. You see, the Great Deku Tree, our father and leader, had adopted him as one of us, because he knew that Link was an important child. I was one of the girls who helped raise him for ten long years. But, one day...he left. The Great Deku Tree died that day..." She softly closed her eyes, but resumed, "And most of us blamed him, but I knew he wouldn't do something that bad. He came back within a few weeks; told us he was going to find his guardian fairy, Navi. But, I missed him so..."

"We made a promise," Saria continued. "A promise that we'd meet again, in this place. And I waited. Over time, my other friends still believed Link was a Kokiri and they were amazed that he could leave the forest. So, they, wanted to leave, too."

"I thought you said if you guys left the forest that you would die," Link said.

"That is true," Saria replied. "But not immediate death. A Kokiri who remains in the forest lives forever. Because we're in this sacred forest, death and sickness cannot reach us. We were always happy. Once everyone left, they returned here to visit those who wanted to stay a few days later. I'm the only one who never left...Link promised to return and I didn't want to miss it for the world. In fifty years, one of my friends returned. She was crying. A friend of ours, Mido, had passed away, after only ten years of separation from the forest. Soon, another three died after a lower number of years. Now, no one has come to visit me anymore, except you, of course." A tear trickled from her blue eye on the right side of her face. The tear immediately dried against her face due to the chilly breeze going through the area. "Sometimes, I thought he broke his promise. Perhaps that...he'd forgotten me."

The cold breeze blowing through the forest became harsher and crueler after her statement. Link pulled his hat over his sore ears. The fire Saria had made was beginning to submit to the wind's strong gusts, which were threatening to put it out.

"What in Farore's name-?" shouted Link as the wind hastily rose in power. Saria paid no mind to the wind, only staring down at her feet, rubbing her knees harder as the wind grew more powerful.

Suddenly, a timid voice broke through the loud cries of the wind, "Saria! Saria! Please don't think I forgot! Please don't!"

Link looked in the voice's direction. Saria did the same, her bowed head know instantly jerking upward at the sound of her name being called by that familiar tone...

"Is it..."

In the shadows was the silhouette of a wolf, its shadowed outline bearing a slight glow around the outline. The glow was a golden color. The wolf drew nearer and nearer, until both could see every detail of its glowing body.

"The Golden Wolf?" Link questioned to himself.

The Golden Wolf nodded and immediately transformed into the undead warrior Link had known throughout his journey. Saria's blue irises became tiny at the sight. The undead warrior looked at her with sad eyes, "Saria, it's me."

Saria did not respond, but seemed to become a tad bit more comfortable. She inched towards him.

"Is it you?...Is it you, Link?"

The knight nodded. Suddenly, something changed in the warrior's appearance. His armor began to fall off, piece by piece. Gradually the armor all fell off, leaving only the helmet. Underneath the armor was a man garbed in green attire, just like Link's, except newer looking. He pulled the helmet off, revealing a youthful man with golden blonde hair. And at that moment, Saria knew who this strange being was. The very boy she had not spoken to in one hundred years.

"Link!" the girl cried out happily. She immediately pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.

"Ow!" the man yelped in a voice the other Link had never heard.

"What made you take so long?" Saria questioned, salty tears pouring from her eyes.

"Saria…I-"

"I waited here by myself for an eternity! One hundred years Link!" Saria shouted, an angry tone possessing her kind voice. Both Links just stared at her with great suprise. The capless Link rose from the ground and shook the dirt from his head. Saria was drawing circles in the dirt with her feet, her arms lightly crossed. "I-I'm sorry for that, Link. I was just a little mad, I guess. Just waiting that long...it gave me doubts...that you'd ever come back."

"Saria," capless Link stated remorsefully. "I didn't forget about you. I just always seemed to put it off. I wanted to explore the world; I wanted to find Navi again...Then, when I considered coming back here again, I met this girl and got married...I had kids and all that, Saria...And...Maybe I did forget...for a while anyway...until my sons grew up and had children of their own...but by then, I was so old, I wasn't strong enough...my wife wasn't alive to help me...my children were too busy, except for my oldest, but..." Link paused for a minute, at a loss for words. Saria immediately jumped in while he was at thought.

"Link, I...I didn't know you'd ever get married...Kokiri don't do stuff like that. But, you're not like us, are you? I guess I wouldn't understand...It's okay then, that you didn't-"

"But, Saria!" interupted Link. "Don't you know why I was in the form of a phantom? Why my soul never departed for the Relam of the Spirits? Because of our promise. That promise was what bound me to this world! My failure to keep it turned me into that ghost, but my remorse for never fufilling it was what stopped me from being turned into a Poe. Saria, I'm here now. I kept my promise."

Saria's mouth grew into a large smile. "Thank you, Link." Saria suddenly jumped onto Link, putting her arms around his neck as she embraced her friend for the last time in this world. The other Link gasped from the sideines. Saria looked his way. "What's up?"

"He-He's fading!"

Saria and her friend Link looked down at his feet. They were blending with the air, fading into nothingness.

"Now that I've fufilled my promise, it's time for me to rest," he said almost happily. Saria let go of Link, landed on her feet, and observed her comrade's face.

"I'll meet you there soon, okay?" She smiled sadly. He smiled back.

Then, the capless Link turned to his descendant. "Hey."

"Hey," his sucessor replied.

"Never forget what I have taught you," he said. "It will help you again someday...my great-grandson."

"WHAT?!"

Before he could even laugh at his reaction, Link faded away into the thin air, his spirit soaring into the haven for the dead. Saria instantly doused her fire with water, putting out the flames.

"Where are you going?" said Link, slightly still in suprise.

"I'm leaving the forest," Saria answered with a smile. "It's time I met my friends again, too." The Kokiri maiden glanced up into the now periwinkle blue sky. "I promise I'll be there soon, friend..." And with that she dashed out of sight and Link never saw her again on that plane of exsistence. The young man grinned as he walked out of the forest, the morning's golden rays getting ready to greet him.

"Hey," Link said to himself as he walked to the enterance of the village. He had just realized something...

The chill haunting the forest had left.

FIN 


End file.
